Surgical Microscope Beam Splitter System

Abstract

A beam splitter configured to be mounted to a conventional ocular module and a conventional microscope module. The beam splitter further including at least one mirror assembly having a mirror armature and a mirror. Each mirror armature being positioned within the interior cavity of the housing and extends inwardly into a respective optical pathway such that the distal end of the armature is positioned proximate an optical pathway longitudinal axis. A bottom surface of the mirror can be mounted to the distal end of the mirror armature such that a reflective surface of the mirror is oriented at a 45 degree angle with respect to the optical pathway longitudinal axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beam splitter system configured to be mounted to an ocular module and a microscope module, comprising:
 a beam splitter comprising:
 a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface and defining an inner cavity, the upper surface defining a pair of spaced mount apertures arranged along a first axis and the lower surface defining a pair of spaced mount openings arranged along a second axis, wherein the respective first and second axis are positioned in a common view plane such that the respective mount apertures of the housing are positioned in overlying registration with the respective mount openings of the housing and each respective registered mount aperture and mount opening defines an optical pathway that extends along an optical pathway longitudinal axis in the common view plane for light to pass through the respective mount opening, through the inner cavity of the housing, and to exit the respective mount aperture, the housing further defining a pair of ports that are positioned on respective opposing distal ends of the housing and a pair of reflection optical channels extending from the inner cavity of the housing to the respective port of the respective reflection optical channel along a reflective beam axis that is in the common view plane and at a normal angle with respect to the optical pathway longitudinal axis of an optical pathway; 
 at least one mirror assembly, each mirror assembly comprising:
 a mirror armature positioned in the common view plane within the interior cavity of the housing and extending inwardly toward a respective optical pathway such that a distal end of the mirror armature can be positioned proximate the optical pathway longitudinal axis of the optical pathway and 
 a mirror having a reflective surface and an opposed bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is mounted to a portion of the distal end of the mirror armature such that the reflective surface of the mirror is oriented at about a 45 degree angle with respect to the optical pathway longitudinal axis of the optical pathway. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the height between the upper surface and the lower surface is less than about 50 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the height between the upper surface and the lower surface is less than about 30 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the upper surface of the housing surrounding the pair of mount apertures defines an ocular mount that is sized or otherwise configured to allow for the ocular module to be mounted thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the lower surface of the housing surrounding the pair of mount openings can define a microscope mount that is sized or otherwise configured to allow for the microscope module to be mounted thereto. 
     
     
         6 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the housing proximate a respective port can be sized or otherwise configured to allow for an image capture system to be mounted thereto. 
     
     
         7 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the planar member of the mirror armature has a minimized width relative to the common view plane. 
     
     
         8 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface of the mirror is positioned in a reflective plane that is positioned at a 45 degree angle with respect to the reflective beam axis of the reflection optical channel to redirect light impacting the reflective surface to pass along a reflective beam axis through a respective reflection optical channel and into an image capture system. 
     
     
         9 . The beam splitter system of  claim 8 , wherein the reflective beam axis is positioned in the common view plane at a right angle to the optical pathway longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         10 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface of the mirror is polished. 
     
     
         11 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface of the mirror is substantially free from artifacts. 
     
     
         12 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein reflective surface of the mirror has a circular shape. 
     
     
         13 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the mirror is minimized to reduce the effective surface area of the reflective surface, and wherein the diameter of the mirror is less than about 7 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the mirror is less than about 4 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter generates an amount of visual occlusion that is less than 20%. 
     
     
         16 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter generates a total aperture occlusion that is less than 20%. 
     
     
         17 . The beam splitter system of  claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter generates a total aperture occlusion that is less than 15%. 
     
     
         18 . A beam splitter configured to be mounted to an ocular module and a microscope module, comprising:
 a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface and defining an inner cavity, the upper surface defining a pair of spaced mount apertures and the lower surface defining a pair of spaced mount openings, wherein the respective pair of spaced mount apertures and spaced mount openings are positioned in a common view plane such that the respective mount apertures of the housing are positioned in overlying registration with the respective mount openings of the housing and each respective registered mount aperture and mount opening defines an optical pathway that extends along an optical pathway longitudinal axis for light to pass through the respective mount opening, through the inner cavity of the housing, and to exit the respective mount aperture;   at least one mirror assembly, each mirror assembly comprising:
 a mirror armature positioned within the interior cavity of the housing and extending inwardly toward a respective optical pathway such that a distal end of the mirror armature can be positioned proximate the optical pathway longitudinal axis of the optical pathway and a mirror having a reflective surface and an opposed bottom surface, 
 wherein the bottom surface is mounted to a portion of the distal end of the mirror armature such that the reflective surface of the mirror is oriented at about a 45 degree angle with respect to the optical pathway longitudinal axis of the optical pathway, 
   wherein the beam splitter generates a total aperture occlusion that is less than 20%.   
     
     
         19 . The beam splitter of  claim 18 , wherein the height between the upper surface and the lower surface is less than about 50 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The beam splitter of  claim 18 , wherein a portion of the upper surface of the housing surrounding the pair of mount apertures defines an ocular mount that is sized or otherwise configured to allow for the ocular module to be mounted thereto, and wherein a portion of the lower surface of the housing surrounding the pair of mount openings can define a microscope mount that is sized or otherwise configured to allow for the microscope module to be mounted thereto. 
     
     
         21 . The beam splitter of  claim 18 , wherein the housing further defines a pair of ports that are positioned on respective opposing distal ends of the housing and further defines a pair of reflection optical channels extending from the inner cavity of the housing to the respective port of the respective reflection optical channel along a reflective beam axis that is in the common view plane and at a normal angle with respect to the optical pathway longitudinal axis of an optical pathway. 
     
     
         22 . The beam splitter of  claim 21 , wherein a portion of the housing proximate a respective port can be sized or otherwise configured to allow for an image capture system to be mounted thereto. 
     
     
         23 . The beam splitter of  claim 18 , wherein the reflective surface of the mirror is positioned in a reflective plane that is positioned at a 45 degree angle with respect to the reflective beam axis of the reflection optical channel to redirect light impacting the reflective surface through a respective reflection optical channel and into an image capture system, and wherein the reflective beam axis is positioned in the common view plane at a right angle to the optical pathway longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         24 . The beam splitter of  claim 18 , wherein a diameter of the mirror is minimized to reduce the effective surface area of the reflective surface, and wherein the diameter of the mirror is less than about 7 mm.